Our 22nd annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, Sept. 24, is a great community “fun-raiser” for our parish. I love to see our parish’s great hospitality shine during this event in downtown O’Fallon as we have fun working and “playing” side by side. No matter how busy the booth is, there are plenty of smiles and laughs to go around.
Please join us in putting on this celebration of our area’s German heritage. Each of you is important to the success of Oktoberfest. While Oktoberfest needs many helpers for shifts in its 24 booths between 4 and 10 p.m., it also takes many hours of preparation the weeks before. We need people to make cakes and pies, put baskets together and donate food and prizes. (If that doesn’t work for your schedule, this year we offered a way to donate money for supplies online.) The setup of the grounds and cooking the German dinner take most of the day Friday and Saturday morning. Then, there’s the cleanup Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Many people helping for an hour or more makes a big difference! While there is work to be done, you also can come out to “play.” Bring your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers for an entertaining evening of food, live music and games.
This year we are excited to bring back all the fun activities for children: kids' games, pony rides from Camp Ondessonk, face painting, inflatables and extreme activities! Visit the Oktoberfest table after Mass to save $5 on the kids’ wristbands -- just $20 in advance covers all inflatables and extreme activities. Plus, we offer the kids' fun run, festival foods, Tropical Sno with special characters, and kids meals at the German dinner.
Special invitation to youth in grades 6 and older: You can work a little and play a little at Oktoberfest. Play I Dood It or corn hole, have some funnel cakes and joust with the inflatables. But also help with the kids’ games, clearing tables at the dinner, face painting and more.